Iron in the pipes

The other day we were fixing a problem with a pressure tank when I cut a pipe and what did I find?  It was full of iron. It was actually plugging the pipe to keep the pressure tank from functioning correctly and causing the pump to short cycle which in turn will shorten the life of the pump.  We were able to install new pipes and put in an Iron filter that will take out the iron and keep the odor and red stains from entering the home.  We call it the Oximax Air Iron.  It oxidizes the iron in the water and gets rid of it right then and there and then is backwashed out.  It uses no chemicals and is completely green technology.  If you have iron problems with your well, be sure to check that your pipes don't look like the one below, it may be another reason you don't have sufficient pressure in the house.

Iron it out

Iron it out

This article has nothing to do with the age old chore of pressing out the wrinkles in your clothing but has everything to do with water quality.  I had a customer the other day who was having problems with iron and we were able to help him with our Iron Filter.  That part was easy but there was a time that had me bewildered until I found the problem.  His pump kept short cycling, which is when the pressure switch hammers on and off.  It just goes click click click and it will inevetibly burn out the pump which can be costly.  This usually happens if you have a bad bladder tank, or a water logged or air locked galvanized tank.  It will also do this when there is a blockage between the pump and the pressure tank.  I checked his tank and it was okay but it still short cycled and had me concerned.  I then took apart his check valve to see if it was functioning correctly and it was.  So the only thing left to do was cut his pvc pipe and see what was going on.  After cutting his pipe and looking inside I was able to see why his pump short cycled.  It was plugged full of iron.  You could not get a pencil through it and thus the problem.  Most home owners never know that this is happening unless they happen to be in the well house while the pump is running.  This iron in the lines can be a cause of low pressure, damage appliances, make water taste terrible and bring unsightly stains into the home.  Be aware of how your system works and if you have iron then my suggestion is to get a filter just for iron.  I have attached a pic of what was found in the pipes, it is almost unbelievable.

Drink lots of water

Though it has been a long time since I wrote a blog it does feel good to inform the readers once again about water.  I found this article and wanted to share it with you.  It is important to drink lots of water especially during the summer months not to mention during the winter months when one would normally not do so and could get dehydrated very quickly without even realizing it.  The important thing here is that you drink quality water.  The public water that we get in our homes is chlorinated and may have other chemicals to disinfect the water and do other things to it as well.  Personally I feel this water is not good for us to drink and there are many articles out there that show how dangerous these chemicals can be to our bodies over years of ingestion.  None the less, hydrate yourself with lots of bottled water or get an under sink water purifier also known as a reverse osmosis.  The following are intersting facts and statements that show us the importance of drinking lots of water;

Drinking water at the correct time
Maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body:
2 glasses of water after waking up -  helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water  30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Soft Water Benefits Study

I have just read an article about some of the benefits of softened water.  They had different case studies using softe water and hard water 30 grains per gallon.  ( Just to give you a base line, Water Quality Association says 10 is considered extremely hard)  They used laundry detergent that was phospate free.  The laundry study investigated stain removal where detergent usage was 50, 75, and 100 percent of the manufacturers recommended level; water hardness ranged from 0-30 gpg hard and water temps were 60, 80, and 100 degrees F.  Nine different phosphate free detergents were tested on nine different stains. The most significant conclusion is the fact that stain removal is increased more by softening water than by increasing detergent dosage or by increasing temperature.  Decreasing hardness was up to 100 times more effective at stain removal (depending on the stain) than increasing detergent dose or temp.  The same type of conclusion was drawn when it came to dishwashers as well.  There was 70 percent savings on detergent (phosphate free) and up to 12 times more effective at cleaning dishes.  There are many more benefits to soft water if you have time, the Battelle Study with gas hot water heaters found there was a 24 percent effeciency loss with hard water.  It is important to have soft water and if you are looking for a water softener or thinking about getting one then check us out at http://www.allamericanwatersofteners.com/

Soft Water Benefits Study

I have just read an article about some of the benefits of softened water.  They had different case studies using softe water and hard water 30 grains per gallon.  ( Just to give you a base line, Water Quality Association says 10 is considered extremely hard)  They used laundry detergent that was phospate free.  The laundry study investigated stain removal where detergent usage was 50, 75, and 100 percent of the manufacturers recommended level; water hardness ranged from 0-30 gpg hard and water temps were 60, 80, and 100 degrees F.  Nine different phosphate free detergents were tested on nine different stains. The most significant conclusion is the fact that stain removal is increased more by softening water than by increasing detergent dosage or by increasing temperature.  Decreasing hardness was up to 100 times more effective at stain removal (depending on the stain) than increasing detergent dose or temp.  The same type of conclusion was drawn when it came to dishwashers as well.  There was 70 percent savings on detergent (phosphate free) and up to 12 times more effective at cleaning dishes.  There are many more benefits to soft water if you have time, the Battelle Study with gas hot water heaters found there was a 24 percent effeciency loss with hard water.  It is important to have soft water and if you are looking for a water softener or thinking about getting one then check us out at http://www.allamericanwatersofteners.com/

A New Water Softener? Don't Get Ripped Off!!!

I was called to McKinney Texas this week to do a maintenance check on a water softener.  When I arrived I saw a plumbing truck in front of the house.  It was a local company that I had seen not only in McKinney but also in Frisco Texas as well.  I knocked on the door of the home and the lady answered and asked me to wait until the plumber was done.  I thought that was strange and asked if I could look at the water softener while I waited to come in.  She said fine and told me where it was.  I went around to the side of the house and found a Reionator, it is made by Water Tech, has a Life Time Warranty on the tank, media and PC board.  I ran it through its different cycles and found it to work like it is supposed to.  No problems here.  The plumber left and I was invited in.  I checked the reverse osmosis system and it was fine, I also checked the water and it was soft.  I told the lady that everything was okay and there was really no need for me to come out until they knew for sure they had a problem.  She showed my the quote she received from this plumbing company, it was for more than $4,000.00.  The service man told her that her water softener was not working and that she needed a new one.  He said he pushed the button and nothing happened.  Well of course not, that will only make it regenerate that night, we all know that you must hold it for atleast 5 seconds or until it begins to regen.  None the less he either did not know what he was doing or was trying to rip her off.   Don't buy a new water softener unless the guy can prove that it cannot be fixed.  I have found that almost all water softeners can be fixed and have had one exception.  It was a culligan machine and only because they discontinued the parts so the customer would have had to buy a new one.  Other than that I have been able to repair all the ones I come across.  You can ask the next service guy some questions to see if he really knows what he is talking about.  Here are some questions and answers that may help you identify a rip off artist.
1. What is the difference between a clack and fleck valve? A; Fleck uses a teflon coated brass piston on most models and fleck uses a hard plastic piston
2. What is the raw water hardness?  A;He should have a test kit to ensure the softener is or is not working.
3.  Does my water softener have cation or anion exchange resin? A; Almost all residential water softeners use cation exchange resin, some may have a little anion exchange resin.
4. Ask him to explain what the ion exchange process is. A; simply put it is a matter of positive charged ions connecting to negative charged ions to remove hardness and get rid of it and recharge the media.
5. If you have a filter ask him what it is you are having filtered out.  He should ask specific questions to determine the kind of media you have or what you think you have that needs to be filtered out, IE, odor, chlorine; most common media is carbon, for iron most common is birm. 
If you aren't sure about this guy then call another company, but do some research first, there are so many people out there that will sell you a new water softener when there is no reason to buy one, just fix the one you have.  We ask you if you would like to buy a new one and we do give cash back towards a new one but we don't try and sell you a new one unless we can't fix what you have.  99.999999999% of the time we can fix what you have and so should they so don't get RIPPED OFF!!!!!!!!!!!

A New Water Softener? Don't Get Ripped Off!!!

I was called to McKinney Texas this week to do a maintenance check on a water softener.  When I arrived I saw a plumbing truck in front of the house.  It was a local company that I had seen not only in McKinney but also in Frisco Texas as well.  I knocked on the door of the home and the lady answered and asked me to wait until the plumber was done.  I thought that was strange and asked if I could look at the water softener while I waited to come in.  She said fine and told me where it was.  I went around to the side of the house and found a Reionator, it is made by Water Tech, has a Life Time Warranty on the tank, media and PC board.  I ran it through its different cycles and found it to work like it is supposed to.  No problems here.  The plumber left and I was invited in.  I checked the reverse osmosis system and it was fine, I also checked the water and it was soft.  I told the lady that everything was okay and there was really no need for me to come out until they knew for sure they had a problem.  She showed my the quote she received from this plumbing company, it was for more than $4,000.00.  The service man told her that her water softener was not working and that she needed a new one.  He said he pushed the button and nothing happened.  Well of course not, that will only make it regenerate that night, we all know that you must hold it for atleast 5 seconds or until it begins to regen.  None the less he either did not know what he was doing or was trying to rip her off.   Don't buy a new water softener unless the guy can prove that it cannot be fixed.  I have found that almost all water softeners can be fixed and have had one exception.  It was a culligan machine and only because they discontinued the parts so the customer would have had to buy a new one.  Other than that I have been able to repair all the ones I come across.  You can ask the next service guy some questions to see if he really knows what he is talking about.  Here are some questions and answers that may help you identify a rip off artist.
1. What is the difference between a clack and fleck valve? A; Fleck uses a teflon coated brass piston on most models and fleck uses a hard plastic piston
2. What is the raw water hardness?  A;He should have a test kit to ensure the softener is or is not working.
3.  Does my water softener have cation or anion exchange resin? A; Almost all residential water softeners use cation exchange resin, some may have a little anion exchange resin.
4. Ask him to explain what the ion exchange process is. A; simply put it is a matter of positive charged ions connecting to negative charged ions to remove hardness and get rid of it and recharge the media.
5. If you have a filter ask him what it is you are having filtered out.  He should ask specific questions to determine the kind of media you have or what you think you have that needs to be filtered out, IE, odor, chlorine; most common media is carbon, for iron most common is birm. 
If you aren't sure about this guy then call another company, but do some research first, there are so many people out there that will sell you a new water softener when there is no reason to buy one, just fix the one you have.  We ask you if you would like to buy a new one and we do give cash back towards a new one but we don't try and sell you a new one unless we can't fix what you have.  99.999999999% of the time we can fix what you have and so should they so don't get RIPPED OFF!!!!!!!!!!!

Is Texas following Pennsylvania

The New York Times raised some eyebrows by saying Pennsylvania's monitoring of water from gas well sites is lax. Is there any danger to our drinking water from a process known as hydraulic fracturing?

Engineering a producing gas well is not as simple as drilling a hole in the ground and adding some pipe. Underground rock structures have to be fractured to release natural gas. The process is known as hydraulic fracturing. Water, acid and other materials are pumped under extremely high pressure to fracture the underground rock structures. The process has been used for decades in Pennsylvania.

The New York Times articles suggest that naturally occurring, low level radioactivity picked up by underground water could be a health hazard if it reaches drinking water supplies.

 It was the first thing that Governor Corbett's choice for DEP Secretary was asked about in a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

"There are drinking water standards," said Judge Michael Krancer, the Acting DEP Secretary. "As one of the commentators of the article says, we think it's safe. There have been calls from various quarters to do some testing."

Judge Krancer said if he's confirmed as DEP Secretary, he'll look into such testing.

But the man who just departed as DEP Secretary said experts on radioactivity and health within the agency assured him it is not a concern.

"Those are the experts in state government who looked at this thing and were very sure at the time that it did not pose a threat," said former DEP Secretary John Hanger.

Hanger said drinking water operators are already required to check for radioactivity, although not that frequently. He said doing more testing is the smart thing to do.

A DEP spokesperson said about 70 percent of waste water at gas well sites is recycled on-site. Some of the waste water goes to treatment plants for processing before being released in streams and rivers.

Water Softener Install in Frisco TX

Well we finished our longest water softener installation in Frisco TX on Monday.  Firstly I got a call inquiring about a water softener in Frisco so we went to look at the job.  The water in Frisco unfortunately smells like freshly turned soil.  Most people can't smell it because they are used to it, we however live on private water wells and there is no chlorine odor so we can easily detect odor in water.  I even have sulphur odor in my water so I have to use a large backwashing carbon filter for our home.  Any way after aquiring a permit and getting the water softener installed, we found ourselves failing the inspection until we got the RPZ or backflow preventer tested.  Before that could be done we had to go to Public Works and get a permit for the test.  Linda at Frisco Public Works was super helpful.  She gave me the permit and also a lengthy list of testers who could test the RPZ for us.  We were able to get a guy named Dale to come out right away and test it and James from the City of Frisco came as soon as I called him and finished the inspection.  A lot of people don't like to pull permits from the city because of all the things that need to be done as well as feel like the inspectors are not helpful.  We however found that not to be true.  Gilbert, Mike and James from the city of Frisco have been very helpful and told us that the rules are black and white which we prefer so there is no guess work involved.  I want to say thank you to the city of Frisco.  We installed a water softener called the Reionator which is made by Water Tech.   http://www.watertech.com/our_products/classic.htm    This is an awesome water softener and the thing we like best about it is that it comes with a lifetime warranty on the the three major parts, the tank, media and the PC board.  No one else in the industry has done that.  We installed it on Friday and on Monday the customer told us he could tell the difference in the water and was even more pleased that it did not have as much of the slick feeling as his last water softener.  He was happy and we were happy.   Thanks again Water Tech for making great equipment for us to make our customers happy.

New Water Softener

I just wanted to write about this new water softener that is put out by a company called Water Tech located in Carrollton Texas.  They have a water softener like no other.  It is called the Reionator and it does something that I have never seen before and has a warranty that others do not provide.  Here are some benefits;
1. No scale build up; Prevents scale build up in pipes, water fixtures and water using appliances

2. Atleast 10% energy savings; Conditioned water ensures efficient operation and long life of water appliances

3. State of the Art Control Valve; 1" electronic metered, fully programmable valve

4. Save on soap products; Soft water produces more intense cleaning.  You will use up to 50% less soap.

5. WQA gold seal certified; Certified to NSF standards 42 and 44

6. So slippery feel; Leaves no slippery residue on the skin

7. Limited life time warranty; Best warranty in the industry, Lifetime warranty on the tank, media and PC board.

This is perfect for city water as it will remove up to 3 ppm of chlorine taste and odor.  It still uses salt or potassium to regenerate but what water softener can remove chlorine. 

I have spoken to many water filtration guys and they love it, there is one company in Houston TX that sells at least 15 a month.  We have just begun to sell them and have installed one in Frisco Texas and have another install this week.  This is what I have been looking for as far as for city water.  I don't have to sell and install a carbon prefilter because this gets rid of chlorine that is bad for you, dries your skin as well as softens water, plus you get a lifetime warranty on top of that.  The great thing is that the price is under $2,500.00  I have not seen anyone else do that.

You can check it out at http://www.watertech.com/our_products/classic.htm

Fluoride, is it really safe?

For decades, fluoride has been marketed and heralded as essential for good dental hygiene and used in most toothpastes and mouthwashes. In addition, parents have been routinely encouraged to give their kids cavity-fighting fluoride treatments when they visit the dentist.

Beginning in the late 1940s, aided by mass industry lead lobbying campaigns, the government encouraged municipal water authorities to add fluoride to their community’s drinking water. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 70 percent of the U.S. population ingests fluoride through their community drinking water today and they want this percentage to continue to climb. This is in stark contrast to other developed European nations were fluoride is rarely added to drinking water – Britain provides only about 10 percent of their population with fluoridated water.

The “experts” and the government told us fluoride would strengthen tooth enamel, help prevent tooth decay and is, of course, perfectly safe.

“Community water fluoridation is an equitable, cost-effective, and cost-saving method of delivering fluoride to most people,” noted Dr. William Maas, director of CDC’s Division of Oral Health. 

But that was then and this is now.

In a surprising reversal, last month EPA’s announced that it intends to lower the maximum amount of fluoride in drinking water because of growing evidence supporting the chemical’s possible deleterious effects to children’s health.

In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences report that found dental fluorosis – caused by too much fluoride – capable of putting children at risk of developing other dental problems including the breakdown of tooth enamel, discoloration and pitting.

January’s EPA recommendation reversal was made following a revised risk assessment study that found 2 out of 5 adolescents had tooth streaking or spottiness and some pitting as a result of excessive fluoride. In addition, other studies have found excessive ingestion of fluoride capable of increasing the risk of brittle bones leading to fractures and debilitating bone abnormalities.

There have always been fluoride critics who questioned the chemical’s safety and challenged the decision to use fluoride in municipal drinking water. According to the Los Angeles Times, back in 2005, “the heads of 11 EPA unions, including those representing the agency’s scientists, demanded that EPA reduce the permissible level of added fluoride in water to zero, citing research suggesting it can cause cancer. Other studies have pointed to neurotoxicity and hormone disruption from excessive fluoride”.

Click here to read: Fluoride in drinking water: Will the EPA get tougher? Jan. 8, 2011 

It has taken the government more than 60 years to recognize – some would argue admit – that American children have been overexposed to this toxic, potentially harmful chemical.

In response to the EPA’s sudden announcement, Jane Houlihan, senior vice-president of the Washington based non-profit Environmental Working Group, said, “this decision is another signal to the public to take care when it comes to exposures to industrial chemicals. What is considered safe today won’t necessarily be thought safe tomorrow.”

Our government has a pretty abysmal track record when it comes acknowledging the potential health risks associated with certain chemicals, particularly when its agencies have already determined these products as “safe”, encouraged, and in some cases mandated their use. So it is somewhat encouraging to see the EPA acknowledging the need to revise their position on fluoride and should be commended for it.

Nonetheless, here is yet another example of why consumers, especially parents, need to be vigilant, do their own research and understand that sometimes the “experts” and the government can be wrong.

NOTE: A reverse osmosis system is needed to remove fluoride from drinking water

Fluoride, is it really safe?

For decades, fluoride has been marketed and heralded as essential for good dental hygiene and used in most toothpastes and mouthwashes. In addition, parents have been routinely encouraged to give their kids cavity-fighting fluoride treatments when they visit the dentist.

Beginning in the late 1940s, aided by mass industry lead lobbying campaigns, the government encouraged municipal water authorities to add fluoride to their community’s drinking water. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 70 percent of the U.S. population ingests fluoride through their community drinking water today and they want this percentage to continue to climb. This is in stark contrast to other developed European nations were fluoride is rarely added to drinking water – Britain provides only about 10 percent of their population with fluoridated water.

The “experts” and the government told us fluoride would strengthen tooth enamel, help prevent tooth decay and is, of course, perfectly safe.

“Community water fluoridation is an equitable, cost-effective, and cost-saving method of delivering fluoride to most people,” noted Dr. William Maas, director of CDC’s Division of Oral Health. 

But that was then and this is now.

In a surprising reversal, last month EPA’s announced that it intends to lower the maximum amount of fluoride in drinking water because of growing evidence supporting the chemical’s possible deleterious effects to children’s health.

In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences report that found dental fluorosis – caused by too much fluoride – capable of putting children at risk of developing other dental problems including the breakdown of tooth enamel, discoloration and pitting.

January’s EPA recommendation reversal was made following a revised risk assessment study that found 2 out of 5 adolescents had tooth streaking or spottiness and some pitting as a result of excessive fluoride. In addition, other studies have found excessive ingestion of fluoride capable of increasing the risk of brittle bones leading to fractures and debilitating bone abnormalities.

There have always been fluoride critics who questioned the chemical’s safety and challenged the decision to use fluoride in municipal drinking water. According to the Los Angeles Times, back in 2005, “the heads of 11 EPA unions, including those representing the agency’s scientists, demanded that EPA reduce the permissible level of added fluoride in water to zero, citing research suggesting it can cause cancer. Other studies have pointed to neurotoxicity and hormone disruption from excessive fluoride”.

Click here to read: Fluoride in drinking water: Will the EPA get tougher? Jan. 8, 2011 

It has taken the government more than 60 years to recognize – some would argue admit – that American children have been overexposed to this toxic, potentially harmful chemical.

In response to the EPA’s sudden announcement, Jane Houlihan, senior vice-president of the Washington based non-profit Environmental Working Group, said, “this decision is another signal to the public to take care when it comes to exposures to industrial chemicals. What is considered safe today won’t necessarily be thought safe tomorrow.”

Our government has a pretty abysmal track record when it comes acknowledging the potential health risks associated with certain chemicals, particularly when its agencies have already determined these products as “safe”, encouraged, and in some cases mandated their use. So it is somewhat encouraging to see the EPA acknowledging the need to revise their position on fluoride and should be commended for it.

Nonetheless, here is yet another example of why consumers, especially parents, need to be vigilant, do their own research and understand that sometimes the “experts” and the government can be wrong.

NOTE: A reverse osmosis system is needed to remove fluoride from drinking water

Bad Smelling Water

The other day I was installing a water softener and 5 stage reverse osmosis system in Frisco Tx.  I could not believe the smell of the water in that city.  It smelled just like freshly turned soil.  Yes that is correct, freshly turned soil.  I brought some home and let my daughter smell it and she told me the same thing, it smelled like freshly turned soil.  I live on a water well and have a water softener and a carbon filter because I have a little iron, hard water and some sulphur.  But to smell water that has the odor of soil is something I have never run across.  It makes me wonder what exactly is in the water.  I do not blame the municipality but it is odd to me to have such an odor.  I am glad they got a reverse osmosis drinking water system so I can know for sure that their water is not only soft but they also have purified drinking water as well.  If your water has an odor I would suggest you stop wasting money on buying bottled water and get yourself a Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System, that way you know that your water is clean because you saw it get cleaned and don't have to take the word of someone you don't know.  Check out the pic of what we installed below.

Get safe drinking water

I'm writing this really to link you to the comments from a PH.D on water quality.  http://www.wcponline.com/pdf/1101On%20Tap.pdf  We often times take our water quality for granted.  We trust our municipalities with the way our water is treated and what's in it.  They are not perfect because they are people just like you and I.  So I am not coming down on them because they have a huge responsibility to keep our municipal water treated for the safety of a whole community, what a huge burden.  We need to take our own actions to protect ourselves and our families in any case that our public servants have over looked something or just made a mistake.  That is why recommend a Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System.  Most people would rather have bottled water and that is my point.  Bottled water is made from Reverse Osmosis Systems, so you can get bottled water at your sink for little to nothing in comparison to what you are paying for bottled water on a yearly basis.  Consider a Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System.  This is our system and is sold for $300.00 to include shipping.

What's with all the fracking

The drinking water in some 19 states may have been rendered less than safe for, well, drinking due to a controversial oil drilling technique called fracking. A recent Congressional investigation reveals that no oil and gas companies have gotten permits for using diesel fuel for fracking in an apparent violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974, and with unknown effects on public health.


Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemical additives including diesel fuel (which helps to dissolve other chemicals into the fluid) into a well, far below the earth's surface. Fissures are created and propped up in the rock formations so that natural gas and oil can more readily flow out of the well. But environmentalists and regulators have become increasingly concerned that the fracking chemicals---including toluene, xylene and benzene, a carcinogen, which are all from diesel gas---are seeping out into underground sources of drinking water, in violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act.


In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, Congressional investigators charged that fracking violates the Safe Water Drinking Act, the January 31st New York Times reports. From 2005 to 2009, oil and gas service companies including Halliburton, Schlumberger and BJ Services injected 32.2 million gallons  of diesel fuel into onshore wells, in 19 states, as Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Diana DeGette (D-CO) write in the letter:

According to EPA, any company that performs hydraulic fracturing using diesel fuel must receive a permit under the Safe Drinking Water Act.  We learned that no oil and gas service companies have sought—and no state and federal regulators have issued—permits for diesel fuel use in hydraulic fracturing.  This appears to be a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act.  It also means that the companies injecting diesel fuel have not performed the environmental reviews required by the law. 

A key question is whether the unauthorized injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids containing diesel fuel is adversely affecting drinking water supplies.  None of the oil and gas service companies could provide data on whether they performed hydraulic fracturing in or near underground sources of drinking water, telling us that the well operators, not the service companies, track that information.  We also asked about diesel fuel use in coalbed methane formations, which tend to be shallower and closer to drinking water sources.  The three largest companies—Halliburton, BJ Services, and Schlumberger—told us they have stopped using diesel fuel in coalbed methane formations located in underground sources of drinking water.  Three smaller companies reported using a limited volume of products containing diesel in coalbed methane wells but did not provide information on the proximity of these wells to drinking water sources.  [my emphases in italics]

The New York Times further notes that, while oil and gas companies have 'acknowledged using diesel fuel in their fracking fluids,' they have rejected the charge that doing so was illegal. The companies have instead sought to shift the blame onto the E.P.A. by contending that the agency never 'properly developed rules and procedures to regulate the use of diesel in fracking, despite a clear grant of authority from Congress over the issue.'

In 2003, three of the largest oil and gas services companies —Halliburton, Schlumberger and BJ Services — signed an agreement with the E.P.A. that was to ' curtail the use of diesel in fracking in certain shallow formations.'  A 2004  E.P.A. investigation in 2004 failed to find any threat to drinking water from fracking, but critics charged that this decision was 'politically motivated.'

And then, in 2005, in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (sometimes referred to as the Bush/Cheney Energy Bill of 2005), Congress amended the Safe Water Drinking Act to exclude oil and gas producers from having to follow certain of its requirements. This act also created the "Halliburton Loophole' (so-called because former Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney was said to be instrumental in its passage) which exempts companies drilling for natural gas from disclosing the chemicals involved in fracking operations---a disclosure that, under laws such as the Safe Water Drinking Act, would normally be required. These exemptions would be removed under the proposed Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which was introduced to both houses of Congress in June of 2009.

The E.P.A. has again started to investigate the issue of fracking's impact on drinking water last year. Results are not expected until 2012 at the earliest. And in the mean time, who knows what is going on to our water supply, far beneath the earth?

You can get more info at http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/whats-with-all-this-fracking/

What's with all the fracking

The drinking water in some 19 states may have been rendered less than safe for, well, drinking due to a controversial oil drilling technique called fracking. A recent Congressional investigation reveals that no oil and gas companies have gotten permits for using diesel fuel for fracking in an apparent violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974, and with unknown effects on public health.


Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemical additives including diesel fuel (which helps to dissolve other chemicals into the fluid) into a well, far below the earth's surface. Fissures are created and propped up in the rock formations so that natural gas and oil can more readily flow out of the well. But environmentalists and regulators have become increasingly concerned that the fracking chemicals---including toluene, xylene and benzene, a carcinogen, which are all from diesel gas---are seeping out into underground sources of drinking water, in violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act.


In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, Congressional investigators charged that fracking violates the Safe Water Drinking Act, the January 31st New York Times reports. From 2005 to 2009, oil and gas service companies including Halliburton, Schlumberger and BJ Services injected 32.2 million gallons  of diesel fuel into onshore wells, in 19 states, as Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Diana DeGette (D-CO) write in the letter:

According to EPA, any company that performs hydraulic fracturing using diesel fuel must receive a permit under the Safe Drinking Water Act.  We learned that no oil and gas service companies have sought—and no state and federal regulators have issued—permits for diesel fuel use in hydraulic fracturing.  This appears to be a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act.  It also means that the companies injecting diesel fuel have not performed the environmental reviews required by the law. 

A key question is whether the unauthorized injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids containing diesel fuel is adversely affecting drinking water supplies.  None of the oil and gas service companies could provide data on whether they performed hydraulic fracturing in or near underground sources of drinking water, telling us that the well operators, not the service companies, track that information.  We also asked about diesel fuel use in coalbed methane formations, which tend to be shallower and closer to drinking water sources.  The three largest companies—Halliburton, BJ Services, and Schlumberger—told us they have stopped using diesel fuel in coalbed methane formations located in underground sources of drinking water.  Three smaller companies reported using a limited volume of products containing diesel in coalbed methane wells but did not provide information on the proximity of these wells to drinking water sources.  [my emphases in italics]

The New York Times further notes that, while oil and gas companies have 'acknowledged using diesel fuel in their fracking fluids,' they have rejected the charge that doing so was illegal. The companies have instead sought to shift the blame onto the E.P.A. by contending that the agency never 'properly developed rules and procedures to regulate the use of diesel in fracking, despite a clear grant of authority from Congress over the issue.'

In 2003, three of the largest oil and gas services companies —Halliburton, Schlumberger and BJ Services — signed an agreement with the E.P.A. that was to ' curtail the use of diesel in fracking in certain shallow formations.'  A 2004  E.P.A. investigation in 2004 failed to find any threat to drinking water from fracking, but critics charged that this decision was 'politically motivated.'

And then, in 2005, in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (sometimes referred to as the Bush/Cheney Energy Bill of 2005), Congress amended the Safe Water Drinking Act to exclude oil and gas producers from having to follow certain of its requirements. This act also created the "Halliburton Loophole' (so-called because former Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney was said to be instrumental in its passage) which exempts companies drilling for natural gas from disclosing the chemicals involved in fracking operations---a disclosure that, under laws such as the Safe Water Drinking Act, would normally be required. These exemptions would be removed under the proposed Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which was introduced to both houses of Congress in June of 2009.

The E.P.A. has again started to investigate the issue of fracking's impact on drinking water last year. Results are not expected until 2012 at the earliest. And in the mean time, who knows what is going on to our water supply, far beneath the earth?

You can get more info at http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/whats-with-all-this-fracking/

What's with all the fracking

The drinking water in some 19 states may have been rendered less than safe for, well, drinking due to a controversial oil drilling technique called fracking. A recent Congressional investigation reveals that no oil and gas companies have gotten permits for using diesel fuel for fracking in an apparent violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974, and with unknown effects on public health.


Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemical additives including diesel fuel (which helps to dissolve other chemicals into the fluid) into a well, far below the earth's surface. Fissures are created and propped up in the rock formations so that natural gas and oil can more readily flow out of the well. But environmentalists and regulators have become increasingly concerned that the fracking chemicals---including toluene, xylene and benzene, a carcinogen, which are all from diesel gas---are seeping out into underground sources of drinking water, in violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act.


In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, Congressional investigators charged that fracking violates the Safe Water Drinking Act, the January 31st New York Times reports. From 2005 to 2009, oil and gas service companies including Halliburton, Schlumberger and BJ Services injected 32.2 million gallons  of diesel fuel into onshore wells, in 19 states, as Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Diana DeGette (D-CO) write in the letter:

According to EPA, any company that performs hydraulic fracturing using diesel fuel must receive a permit under the Safe Drinking Water Act.  We learned that no oil and gas service companies have sought—and no state and federal regulators have issued—permits for diesel fuel use in hydraulic fracturing.  This appears to be a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act.  It also means that the companies injecting diesel fuel have not performed the environmental reviews required by the law. 

A key question is whether the unauthorized injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids containing diesel fuel is adversely affecting drinking water supplies.  None of the oil and gas service companies could provide data on whether they performed hydraulic fracturing in or near underground sources of drinking water, telling us that the well operators, not the service companies, track that information.  We also asked about diesel fuel use in coalbed methane formations, which tend to be shallower and closer to drinking water sources.  The three largest companies—Halliburton, BJ Services, and Schlumberger—told us they have stopped using diesel fuel in coalbed methane formations located in underground sources of drinking water.  Three smaller companies reported using a limited volume of products containing diesel in coalbed methane wells but did not provide information on the proximity of these wells to drinking water sources.  [my emphases in italics]

The New York Times further notes that, while oil and gas companies have 'acknowledged using diesel fuel in their fracking fluids,' they have rejected the charge that doing so was illegal. The companies have instead sought to shift the blame onto the E.P.A. by contending that the agency never 'properly developed rules and procedures to regulate the use of diesel in fracking, despite a clear grant of authority from Congress over the issue.'

In 2003, three of the largest oil and gas services companies —Halliburton, Schlumberger and BJ Services — signed an agreement with the E.P.A. that was to ' curtail the use of diesel in fracking in certain shallow formations.'  A 2004  E.P.A. investigation in 2004 failed to find any threat to drinking water from fracking, but critics charged that this decision was 'politically motivated.'

And then, in 2005, in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (sometimes referred to as the Bush/Cheney Energy Bill of 2005), Congress amended the Safe Water Drinking Act to exclude oil and gas producers from having to follow certain of its requirements. This act also created the "Halliburton Loophole' (so-called because former Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney was said to be instrumental in its passage) which exempts companies drilling for natural gas from disclosing the chemicals involved in fracking operations---a disclosure that, under laws such as the Safe Water Drinking Act, would normally be required. These exemptions would be removed under the proposed Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which was introduced to both houses of Congress in June of 2009.

The E.P.A. has again started to investigate the issue of fracking's impact on drinking water last year. Results are not expected until 2012 at the earliest. And in the mean time, who knows what is going on to our water supply, far beneath the earth?

You can get more info at http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/whats-with-all-this-fracking/

Is your tap water safe to drink

I have seen a lot of articles out there about our municipal drinking water and the more I see the more concerned I become. So I thought that though I really like to blog I would let someone else do the talking for a change.  As you will be able to see in the articles there are some major U.S. cities that have unsafe drinking water.  The problem is we never know if it is ours and it may already be too late.  I have seen many people die due to cancer and quite frankly I am tired of seeing good people die.  We many times just know where the cancer comes from but it just shows up and kills people and it does not care about the age, sex, nationality.  It just kills, it takes the lives of loved ones and leaves families with a hole in it.  It could very well be in our drinking water and we are not even aware of it.  Please take some time to view the link http://static.ewg.org/reports/2010/chrome6/html/home.html   You cannot afford not to.

Hexavalent Chromium Found in Tap Water

Pentair's Reverse Osmosis Systems Reduce Hexavalent Chromium Found in Tap Water

MILWAUKEE, Wis., January 3,  2011 — A report was released recently  by  the Environmental  Working Group (EWG) with details on the detection of hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) in tap water in 31 of 35 cities tested. Chromium-6, made infamous by the movie "Erin Brockovich," has been linked to stomach cancer and is the latest in a series of unregulated substances which have been detected in a number of treated drinking water supplies. These substances include pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals which can pass through conventional water treatment methods.

The study suggests that those concerned can purchase a water filtration system to significantly reduce the presence of hexavalent chromium in their tap water. As a global leader in water filtration systems, Pentair Residential Filtration (PRF), a division of Pentair, specializes in reverse osmosis water filtration systems for the home which are third party certified to reduce hexavalent chromium.  Chia Kung, Pentair Residential Filtration's global product manager for membranes, leads a team devoted to producing these state of the art reverse osmosis systems,

"Pentair Residential Filtration has a long history of successfully reducing hexavalent chromium, as well as other undesirable substances, from drinking water," says Kung. "Each of our reverse osmosis systems is designed to provide clean drinking water by separating substances such as hexavalent chromium from the incoming water source. These systems typically have 4 to 5 total stages of filtration that will separate other substances including (but not limited to), arsenic, lead, and cysts." (A full list can be found at http://www.nsf.org/).

"I am proud to be a part of a company whose goal it is to develop technology that can improve the quality of life in our communities," said Sam Karge, Pentair Residential Filtration vice president of Global Marketing. "As concerned citizens, we at Pentair are here to serve by providing high quality, water filtration solutions that residents can incorporate into their home to help alleviate the problem." Residents that live in areas where hexavalent chromium has been found in tap water can contact their local plumbing professional, water treatment professional or kitchen and bath dealer to purchase one of the Pentair products that specifically reduce the presence of the chemical. These products  include  the  American  Plumber  WRO-3500  Reverse  Osmosis  system  or  Pentair Water® RO-3000 and  Pentair Water® RO-3500 Reverse Osmosis systems—which are certified by  the National  Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to reduce hexavalent chromium.  Residents can also purchase the Everpure Reverse Osmosis II or Everpure Reverse Osmosis III systems as these products also reduce the substance.

About Pentair

Pentair, Inc., (www.pentair.com) is a global diversified industrial company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its Water Group is a global leader in providing innovative products and systems used worldwide in the movement, treatment, storage and enjoyment of water.

Pentair Residential Filtration, a division of Pentair, Inc., provides clean, safe and aesthetically-pleasing water to residences through long-standing partnerships around the world leveraging innovative, environmentally-focused and energy-saving technologies. Its distribution partners have access to the industry's widest range of high quality products available to meet all global residential water market needs. Under strong brands and product names such as GE, Homespring by GE, Everpure, PENTEK, Fleck, Autotrol, WellMate, AquaMatic, Structural, American Plumber and OMNIFilter, Pentair Residential Filtration offers a broad product portfolio ranging from filter housings, filter cartridges, drinking water systems, softeners, pressure vessels and control valves, so that partners can carry the best products to meet all residential water needs. With 2009 revenues of $2.7 billion, Pentair, Inc., employs approximately 13,000 people worldwide.

Pentair Residential Filtration Contact Paul Devine, Communications, Paul.Devine@pentair.com.

For additional details please contact your Pentair Residential Filtration representative.